Flexible shaft



E. LEEBERG. FLEXIBLE SHAFT.l

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9,1918.

Patented July 8, 1919.

co., WASHINGTON. laf. c.

To all Iwhom t *may concern:

EDWARD LnEBnRG, or nosnnnn, NEW JERSEY.

FLEXIBLE SHAFT.

'specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July s, l19,19.

Applicatioirlediuly 9, 1918. 'Serial N o. 244,108;

Be y'it known that I, EDWARD LEEBERG,

yacitizen ofthe United States, residing at Roselle, inthe county of `Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new `and useful Improvements in Flexible Shafts, land I1 do declare the'following to be ya full,

clear,y and exact description of theinvention, such as willenable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide :a simple and durable flexible shaftffor dentists drills, sp'eedometers and the like,

having-an improved joint between the several links of such design as to permit quick' and easy assembling or idisassembling, and to wear a great length of' time.` l/Vith the foregoing object in view, the invention yresidesl inv the novel construction hereinafter fully described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawing.

Figurel is a side elevation of a portion of the shaftl with the tubular'casing in section.l Y v Fig.`2 is a view similar'to Fig. 1, but taken at rightangles thereto;

. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with parts in section on lthe plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 4 is a side elevation o one link of the shaft with the socket end thereof in section.

Fig. 5 is a similar View of the next adjacent'link showingthe -headfend ofthe latter in section.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side elevations of two adjacent links separated from each other.

Fig. Sis an end elevation of the socket end of one link.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the head end of one of the links.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numerals 1 designate the cylindrical links of which the shaft is constructed and 2 has reference to the usual flexible tubular casing infwhich said links are housed. Since the construction of all of the links is they same (except possibly the endmost), only one will be described in detail.

One end of the link is provided with a socket 3 opening through opposite sides of the link at 4 and provided at opposite sides of these openings with a substantially iat side 5 and a curved or concave side 6, said flat side having a recess 7. The fiat side 5 'of the y.socket 3 is providedy between the -re- -cess1=7= andthe `end/of 4the link with a preferably cylindrical lug 8 extending toward the curved side 6 for a suitable distance and `directlyopposite said lug, the end of the link. isprovided with a 'notch 9. Adjacent .the baseof the lug 8, the end of the link is preferably rounded as seen at 10, but a projecting rib .11 remains to reinforce the flat side of the socket 3 against the weakening eect of such rounding and the formation of the recess 7. Y

The end of the link 1 opposite the socket 3 is-,provided with a substantially quarterspherical head 12 having a convex side 13 and an angular side 14 diverging inwardly therewith. The juncture of the head 12 with `the link 1 is effected by a neck 15 and in order to reinforce this neck, a longitudinal rib-16 preferably extends across the same from thebody of the link to the convex side 13 ofthe head.- The side 14 of head 12 is provided with a recess 17 and with transverse grooves 18 leadingvfromsaid recess to the sides of the head. The part of the side 14C between the recess 17 and the outer end of the head is beveled as'at 19 and provided with a projecting lug 20. Directly. opposite this lug the endv of the link is formed with a groove 21 leading from the periphery of said link yto the recess 17.

The head. 12 of each link is received in the socket 3 ofthe next adjacent link, it Y being necessary to locate the two links at a 'suitable angle'in order that the head may be inserted in the socket. When the links are brought into substantial alinement, however. the lug 20 is loosely received in the recess 7 and lug 8 similarly projects into the recess 17 as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The two lugs 8 and 2O then coperate in preventing detachment of one link from the other until they are suitably angled. When this angling takes place, the rounded end 10 of one link is received in the transverse grooves 18 of the next adjacent link so as to permit the free rocking of the head in the socketv without binding. When thus positioning the links, the rib.11 moves freely within groove 21 and thus interferes in no manner with the detachment or attachment of any two sections. Normally the rib 11 is disposed opposite and partly in the groove 21, and the reinforcing rib 16 is similarly associated with the groove 9.

The arrangement shown and described permits the free relative swinging of the several sections regardless of the manner in which the shaft is used. necessary, it is a simple matter to assemble or disassemble the entire shaft or any part thereof and in case of breakage of one link,

such link may be removed and thenext ad'- jacent links joined to each other, since the joint shown and described permits considerable endwise play of the links, which play is ample to permit a broken link to be discarded as set forth.

Since probably the best results are obtained from the details shown and described, they are by preference followed, Vbut within the scope of the invention as claimed, considerable latitude is allowed for -making' minor changes as occasion may dictate. For instance, although in practice the transverse axes of the several joints will preferably be spaced approximately 450 apart, to prevent all joints from having the same movement simultaneously, this arrangement may be varied, if found desirable.

I claim:

1. In a flexible shaft, an elongated link having a socket opening through one of its ends, one side of said socket being concave and the opposite side relatively flat, and a second elongated link having on one end a substantially quarter-spherical head received non-rotatably in said socket with its convex surfaceengaging the concave side of said socket, said head having turning movement in said socket allowing angling of the two links in all directions.

2. In a flexible shaft, an elongated link having a socket opening through'one of its ends, one side of said socket being concave and the opposite side relatively flat, and a second elongated link having on one end a substantially quarter-spherical headreceived Copies of this patent maybe obtained forive cents each, by vaddressing the Whenever it isA ypoised grooves leading- Afrom in said socket with its convex surface engag-l ing the concave side of said socket, said head being shaped for contact with said relatively flat side of said socket to form a driving connection between the two links, said head having turning movement in said socket allowing angling of the two links in all directions. v

3. A structureas specified in claim l, said relatively Hat side of the socket and the adj acent side of said vhead having a loosely interitting lug and recess connection t0 prevent endwise separation until the links are angled toa predetermined extent.

` 4. 'In a flexible shaft, an lelongated link having a longitudinal socket opening through one of Aits ends and opening also through opposed sides of said linjk, one Vside ofy said socket being concave transversely from one open side t0 the other, and the side of said socket opposite said concave side be-,vv

ing relatively Hat, said vrelatively flat side having near its outer end an inwardly eri-"T5 tending lug and in rear of said lug a recess, and a second elongated link having on one end a substantially quartenspherical head received in said socket withlits convex side engaging said concave side of said socket,

the side rof said .head opposite said convexy side diverging inwardly with the latter and having a recess and a lug engaging said first named recess and lug, said head having opits yrecess through its sides to clear the end of their'st namedlink when the two areangledffor connecting' or disconnecting them.

5.,A structure as specified in claimafthe adjacent ends of said links having radially disposed loosely intertting ribs and grooves.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto 'set my hand.

EDVARDA LEEBERG.

. Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

